Signaling device



Fil'ed Sept. 2l. 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 J. F. COLLINS July 28, 1936.

SIGNALNG DEVICE 2 sheets-sheet 2 Filed Sept. 2l, 1932 Patented July 28, 1936 .UNI-TED., STATES PATENT OFFICE SIGNALING DEVICE Joseph F. collins, Philadelphia, Pa. Application september 2i, i932, serial No. 634,232

s claims. (cl. 15s-4) This invention relates to improvements in depor emitted from`- the generator at the ground vices for indicating to aviators the direction and surface .will tend to rise in a vertical column and approximate force of air currents at the surface will dofso when there is no vwind at the ground of the ground. surface; 'I'he column, however, is immediately 5 One object of the inventionis to provide means displaced by any wind or air currentiadjacent 5 for clearly indicating the direction and approxithe ground surface, and the degree of displaces mate intensity of ground air currents. ment and the velocity of the vapor affords an Another object of the invention is to provide indication of the force of the displacing air cury an indicating device ofthe stated character which rent. Any air current of `substantial strength shall be characterized by extreme sensitiveness vcarries the smoke or vapor directly over the sur- 10 and which will indicate clearly changes both in face of the ground, and in any event the streamer the direction and approximate intensity of air or column of smoke may be readily discernible' currents adjacent the ground surface. .from the air'and will aiord an accurate indica- Still another object of the invention is to protion not only of the direction of the wind at l5 lvide a device of the stated character which shall the immediate ground surface, in which the avil5 clearly and positivelyvindicate an absence of air ator is primarily interested, but also theapproxicurrents at the ground surface. mate intensity thereof, this latter indicationbeing A still further object ofthe invention is to a property of velocity of the vapor or of the angle provide a device of the stated character which formed by the smoke streamer with the'ground 2.0 shall be capable of eilicient operation over exsurface.

tended periods of time without attention or ob- The generating and emitting apparatusis shown servation. in Figs. 1 and 2. The device in its simplest form Another object of the invention is to provide consists of a pit 5, the walls and bottom of which `in a device ofl the stated 'character means for may be formed of concrete." Preferably the tops controlling the operation) of the device from a of the side walls of the pit rise slightly above 25' remote point, removed, for example, from the the surface of the ground, as indicated at 6, and landing field in which the device normally would the ground surface is sloped slightly away from be installed, thereby avoidingrhazard to attendthe pit in order to effectively exclude surface' ants who otherwise would be required to go onto water from the pit. Suitable drains may be prothe landing eld in starting or stopping the devided in the pit if necessary. Mounted in the 30 vice. i v f bottom of the pit is a pot,1 having in the side The invention further contemplates the prothereof and below the lowermost baille an open;- vision of a device of the stated character which ing 9 for access to the interior of the pot of a shall be capable of'operating entirely from a sinflame generated in the present instance by an gie, and inexpensive grade of liquid fuel. oil burner. A type of burner found suitable for 35 Still another object is to provide means for the purpose comprises an atomizing nozzle I0 controlling the colorl of the smoke toinsure a which is mounted in the interior of a pipe II, suilicient 'color contrast between the vapor and one end of this pipe being mounted in the opening its backgroundy as viewed from above. 9 of the pot 1 and the other end connecting with 40 f The `invention further resides incertain novel the casing of a suitable blower I2. This blower 40 structural and mechanical features and details is operatively connected with theshaft ofan hereinafter setforth and illustratediin the atelectric motor I3. -The nozzle I0 is connected" tached drawings, 'in which: through a pipe Il with a fluid pump I5, also Fig. 1 is a plan view of the smoke-generating operatively connected as illustrated with the elecapparatus; tric motor I3. The pump Iiis connected through 45 Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2, Fig. 1; apipe I6 with a tank II located as shown in Fig. Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the 2 below the ground surface and having a feeder electricalsystem of control, andl pipe I8 opening at the surface of the ground Fig. 4 is a sectional' view similar tothat of through which the tank may be filled, as re Fig. 2 but illustrating a mo'diiication within the quired, with oil or other suitableliquid fuel. The 50 scope of the invention. l pipe Il is pro'vided with a pressure regulator I9 The indicator comprises a device for generating which insures that oil Idischarged into the pipe and emitting a column-of smoke or vapor, this I4 by the pump I5 shall pass to the atomizing generating device being preferably 4sunk beneath nozzle Il at a predetermined minimum pressure. the ground level. In practice, the smoke or va- This valve I9 also functions to close thepipe Il 5 5 when the pump l5 is either inoperative or fails to deliver the oil from the tank to the pipe |4 at the aforesaid minimum pressure. Extending from the pipe |4 is a pipe 2| which as shown in Fig. 2 passes through the side of the pot 1. 'I'his pipe is provided with a valve 22 through which the amount of oil discharged through the pipe 2| may be regulated as required. The pipe 2| terminates in a nozzle 2|) located at the upper side of a ledge 8 projecting into the interior of the pot. Through the pipe 2| 'and nozzle 20 oil is introduced into the pot in the form of a semiatomized spray and is projected preferably upwardly, as shown, from the combustin chamber in the bottom of the pot.

In operation, sufficient heat is generated by the oil burner in the bottom of the pot to immediately and continuously vaporize the oil injectecl as described from the nozzle 20, the vapor thus generated passing upwardly through a irusto-conical hood 23 at the top of the casing and passing fromthe top of this hood to form the column or'streamer of smoke previously described. It will be noted that in the present instance the device utilizes the same fluid medium for forming the smoke or vapor as is used in the heat-generating unit.

For remote control of the device, I provide an electric igniter including a spark gap 25 positioned adjacent the nozzle I and a thermostatic regulator 26 located in the interior of the hood 23 and operatively connected with a mercury switch 2l' located exteriorly of the hood 23 as illustrated. The electrical control system is illustrated in Fig. 3. Current is drawn from a suitable remote source of potential through kthe line 28 and through a service switch 28 connected therewith. Flow of current to the control circuit is regulated by a. normally open switch 3| and the switch 2T previously mentioned, which latter switch is also open during such periods as the vapor emitter is inoperative. Assuming that the device is inoperative, operation is instituted from the remote control point by momentarily closing the switch 3|,-which switch is normally held open by a-spring 32. Closingof the switch 3| permits iiow of current to a transformer 33 operatively connected with the spark gap 25 as illustrated, and also permits flow of current to the electric motor |3. Energization of the motor '|3 and of the igniting device 33-25 causes oil to be fed by the pump to the nozzle I0 and ignition of the atomized vapor 'passing from the nozzle. Oli is also passed through the pipe 2| to the nomle and thence to the interior of the pot, and this' oil is vaporized by the heat generated from the nozzle I0, the vaporized oil passing upwardly through and out of the hood 23. Emission of vapor indicates that the device is operating normally, and pressure on the switch 3| is thereupon releasedr permitting this switch to open. The heat generated in the pot 1 and by the vapor passing from the pot acts upon the thermostat 26 to actuate and to close the mercury switch 21. When ,this switch is closed, current is continuously supplied to the motor' I3, maintaining operation of that element of the device after the switch 3| has been opened. Opening of the switch 3|, however, breaks the circuit through the igniting device 3 3-25. A

pilot light 34 is provided in a shunt circuit may be interrupted from the remote control position by opening the switch 29.

It will be noted that the pot 1 is provided in its lower portion with a lining of fireclay or other suitable refractory material protecting the pot from the eiiects of the llame projected from the nozzle ID. The pit A5 is provided with hinged cover-plates 46 which meet approximately at the center of the pit and which are provided with an opening 41 which registers -with the open top of the hood 23. These cover-plates 46 are preferably made of heavy metal and are of suiiicient strength to support any load which might reasonably be imposed upon them. In some instances, the vapor generated as described above may be so nearly the color of the ground as to be not readily discernible from above. This condition may be readily corrected by introducing withthevapor-producing material a coloring or dyeing medium producing a. strongly contrasting color in the vapor column; or a vaporable material may be selected to produce a vapor of desired color.'

The aforedescribed device constitutes a simple relatively inexpensive and highly eiiicient means for indicating the direction and approximate intensity of ground air currents for airport purposes. The simple electrical circuit provides for' complete control of the operation of the device from a remote point, and the device is capable of continuous operation over extended periods without attention. A marked simplification is also afforded by the utilization of a single uid medium both as the smoke or vaporgenerating medium and as the heating medium.

There may bemodiilcation in the structural and mechanical details and in the arrangement of elements without departure from the invention. In Fig. 4, for example, I have illustrated such a modiiication, wherein the pot 1 is provided with overlappns vertically spaced baiiies 48 and wherein the oil or other ,vapor-forming medium is lntroducedinto the pot through a pipe 49 at apoint above the uppermost baille. 'Ihe bailies are heated by the oil burner, which as previously described projects a flame into the bottom of the pot, and the oil falling upon thel heated baiiies 4I from the pipe 49 is vaporized, the vapor passing from the pot as previously described. While this latter method of vapor generation may be employed, the method iirst described, in which the vaporable medium is introduced into the pot in the form of a spray, is desirable by reason of its relatively high eilici'enc'y and by the fact that its capacity for vapor generation is considerably greater than the method'illustrated in Fig. 4.

I claim:

l. The method of producing visible vapor ior signal purposes, which consists in forming a spray signal purposes, which consists in heating an area to a ,predetermined temperature, injecting into said area a spray of a heat-vaporable substance whereby `said substance is nvaporilaed. and discharging said vapor inw the atmosphere.

3. The method of producing visible vapor for signal purposes, which consists in passing heated gases through a flue, injecting into said iiue in the form of a spray a substance vaporable at the" temperature o1 said gases whereby the resultant 75 vapor is discharged from the iiue to the atmosphere. 4

4. In a signaling device, the combination with a flue discharging to the atmosphere.of means for passing heated gases through the nue, and means 6. In a signaling device, the combination with a y combustionchamber and a flue extending therefrom to the atmosphere, of a liquid-fuel burner associated with said chamber, an atomizer associated with the flue, and means for feeding fuel both to said burner and to the atomizer.

7. In a signaling device, the combination with a combustion chamber and a iiue extending therefrom to the atmosphere, of a liquid-fuel burner associated with said chamber, said burner conrprising a blower and a nozzle operatively associated therewith, an electric motor for actuating said blower to force air through the combustion chamber to the ilue, a pump actuated by said motor connected with the nozzle and with a source of liquid fuel, and electrical igniting means for said burner, a duct entering said flue and connected with said pump, a normally open manually-actuated switch controlling the circuits of the motor and of the igniting means, a second switch controlling the motor circuit alone, and a thermostat located in said flue and constituting an actuator for the second switch, said thermostat closing the switch when the temperature in said iiue rises to a predetermined degree, to thereby maintain operation of the motor when the said manually-actuated switch is opened, and opening the switch when the temperature falls.

8. In a device of the character described, the combination with a heating element, of means for feeding a heat-vaporable material to said element, a heat generator operatively associated with said element and adapted i'or utilization of said vaporable material as the heat-generating me` dium, and means for discharging the vapor produced at said heating element to the atmosphere.

9. In a device ot the character described, the combination with a source of a heat-vaporable material, of a heating element, a heat generator operatively associatedv with said element and adapted for utilization of the said vaporable material as the heat-generating medium, positive means for feeding said material from the source both to said heating element and to the generator, and means for discharging the vapor produced at said heating element to the atmosphere. 1

JOSEPH F. COLLINS. 

